A Place Where Everyone is Welcome                                   

At JCC Camp Shai, we strive to create a community that welcomes diversity. We invite all those who wish to participate including but not limited to people of any: race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, family structure, ability, marital status, culture, and spirituality. At Camp Shai, it is our mission to help all campers in our care to spark their imagination and inspire them to celebrate their individuality.

Behavioral Health & Inclusion Philosophy

Camp Shai is a place where ALL campers in our care can feel safe, nurtured, and accepted. We do our best to support the individual needs of our campers while providing a safe, healthy, inclusive social environment for the greater camp community. Core to our mission, Camp Shai welcomes many campers with identified needs, so long as we are able to support them and provide the appropriate level of care without compromising the safety and wellbeing of them or their peers. All camp staff are trained in the most current inclusive behavior practices, and for campers with higher needs, Camp Shai has Inclusion Counselors that are trained and supported by a behavioral health specialist. While we are able to serve many campers with identified needs and do our best to do so, we are unable to serve everyone. If your camper has learning, cognitive, and/or behavioral differences or special needs, please contact the Camp Shai Director directly prior to enrollment, so that we can determine whether we are able to provide the necessary resources and accommodations to support your camper. Reach out to us!

Here’s what some Camp Shai parents are saying about our Inclusion Program:  

• “Our son feels part of the group. Camp is a bright spot for him, and it is fantastic to hear him enjoy all of the activities even though he has some physical limitations. “ 
• “Thank you for your inclusion program. You are truly the only day camp I know of in this area that allows my kids to participate in “regular” camp while providing the accommodations needed for success. If your program didn’t exist our next option would be a private sitter for the summer, and that would never provide the number of fun activities and social interaction available at Shai. Thank you thank you!” 
• “Our daughter was in Tsofim at Camp Shai at various points during the summer.  She has several mental health diagnoses and is challenging kiddo to manage at times.  Your team welcomed us, bent over backward to accommodate her needs, partnered with us, and never exhibited any judgment toward her and her difficult behavior. “